


I Don't Blame You

by sourwulfve



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Shapeshifting, Werewolves, Witches, Wizards, stiles is a wizard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2015-04-07
Packaged: 2018-03-02 18:15:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2821583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sourwulfve/pseuds/sourwulfve
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Stilinski family are part of a strong coven of witches and wizards. The Hale pack, along with surrounding packs, have made a truce with the coven, promising their protection. A bond between the Hales and Stilinskis is born. When the Shifters declare war on the magical folk, the packs and covens are broken and scattered. </p><p>Eight years later, Derek finds Stiles and vows that this time, he won't let down the young wizard. He'll protect him this time. </p><p>(And Stiles, of course, vows to do do the same for Derek.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Do You Remember

**Author's Note:**

> Currently unbeta'd as most of this just came to me in a dream and I wrote it on a whim. First time doing fan fiction, although I've probably read all of the Sterek fics under the sun. Why not add another, right?

I Don’t Blame You

There was always one place where Stiles always went to when the omens were bad, when his luck seemed to be running on empty. The Stilinski lake house was a thing of beauty. At least, it was to Stiles. It was where they found safety during the fall out. The war between the shapeshifters and the magical folk. Stiles was thirteen when the shapeshifters forced them out of their homes, the safety of the mountains and surrounding forest. Eight years had come and gone since the war and the witches and wizards had learned to adapt and blend in with the humans of the world. It wasn't hard, thankfully, but there was still many things they had yet to learn. 

It was late July so the road to get to the lake house was not at all empty. Surrounding like homes always seemed to be in full swing around the summer months. Luckily for Stiles, nobody ever bothered him when he was occupying the lake house. His father knew where he was and that’s all that really mattered. He made it to the very last cabin at the end of the winding road, away from the other cabins, parking in the makeshift driveway and killing the engine to his jeep. “Mixtio.” Stiles whispered, a blending incantation as to not draw attention to himself. It was important to blend in, especially out here, not too far from the shapeshifter territory. It had been years since any of the witches or wizards had been given trouble by them, but knowing Stiles’ luck, he’d be the exception. 

After taking a deep breath, he exited the jeep, grabbing his bag before walking up the steps of the lake house. The lake house, although comforting, also brought back memories of that night… the night they waited for his mother, but she had never shown up. Instead, Melissa and Scott McCall showed up to break the news that Claudia Stilinski had perished. She had tried to take on three shifters, three people that had been their allies… until they turned on the magical folk. Stiles bit back tears and opened the front door, greeted by familiar and comforting scents. He smiled, going into his small safe haven and immediately going around the lake house, enchanting the house with protection, safety, and good feelings. 

By the time night fell, Stiles had finished going around the house, showering and also making dinner for himself. “It’s too quiet in here.” He muttered, going to turn on the small television that was in the living room. So he had come up here for quiet, but too much quiet tended to unsettle Stiles, make him feel alone. 

Stiles fell asleep that night, watching TV as the quiet settled around him. 

The next morning, Stiles awoke with an odd feeling. A feeling that someone was watching him. He waited before opening his eyes, looking around him, but not seeing or feeling anything. Shrugging, he went about his morning routine. That was, until it was time for his run. Normally, his days were always started with a long run or jog. This time, he paused outside the front door, scanning the woods for whatever it was that was watching him. The beginnings of panic started to bubble in his stomach, his breathing becoming heavier. “Revelabit.” He whispered, squinting as his eyes landed on a back figure. 

A wolf stared back at Stiles. Large, dark, and unmoving. Stiles gasped, fear overwhelming him for a moment as he pondered the odds of that being a shifter. However, the fear was erased in seconds when the wolf passed the barrier. No creature or human could pass the barrier that meant the guest ill harm. That meant… the wolf was just that, a wolf. 

“Hey, big guy… you scared me.” He breathed out, relaxing all over as he slowly approached the wolf. “What are you doing out here? You know, there’s humans around these parts… like me- I’m a human.” He laughed gently as to not spook the wolf. 

“You don’t have to be scared of me… you don’t look scared of me.” Stiles lifted a brow as he stopped directly in front of the wolf. “Why aren't you scared? I was scared.” He knelt before the wolf, offering his hand up to be sniffed. 

It took a moment, but the wolf finally sniffed his fingertips and bumped his nose against Stiles’ wrist as to say he was alright in his book. Stiles wasn’t sure what made him think the wolf had been a shifter. During the war, werewolves had not been seen anywhere. It was as if though they didn’t take part in the war at all, as if they didn’t stand with their fellow shifters. In fact, his best friend was a werewolf and he and his mother hadn’t even been aware of the retaliation. 

If the McCalls would have known about the impending war, they surely would have warned the witches and wizards. Any of the packs probably would have because werewolves had always allied with his mother and father. 

“I was about to go on a run, do you want to go with me?” Stiles asked the wolf after a long moment of silence. “I know you can’t talk, but you know…” He shrugged, standing and starting off towards the woods in a slow pace. 

Looking back, he smirked as he noticed the wolf following him. Stiles didn’t dwell on it much. Animals always seemed to be drawn to witches and wizards, feeling at ease around their gentle power. This wasn’t the first time an animal had befriended Stiles, after all. 

The wolf kept up with Stiles, never once veering off course or even getting bored of Stiles. The wizard found it almost comforting to have someone running with him that could keep up. His dad had gone running with him once and Stiles had to practically drag him the rest of the way home. Not everyone was cut out for long distance running. 

It was a while later before the lake house came into view and Stiles didn’t stop running until he had made it to the front steps. Turning, he was glad to see the wolf sitting patiently, not even winded. “Since you’ll be my animal companion for the rest of this trip, it would be rude of me to make you stay out here and not invite you in.” Stiles laughed because yeah, we was talking to a wolf. “After you.” He held open the door for the wolf and waited for him to be indoors before closing the door behind them. 

“Make yourself at home and when you need to go out, just like… scratch the door?” Stiles half asked, not knowing how to handle his new wolf friend. When the wolf huffed and seemed to roll his eyes, Stiles threw his head back and laughed. 

“I’m sorry, did that offend you? Because you’re not a dog. Right.” He got out between laughter. “I like you. I hope you stick around, big guy.” He patted the wolf’s head before heading into the kitchen for water. He took a water bottle from the fridge and gulped it down before eyeing the black wolf. 

“You thirsty?” Stiles went for the cabinet with the bowls, retrieving another water bottle and pouring the water into the bowl and setting it down. He watched as the wolf drank from the bowl greedily and felt like a jerk for not getting him water sooner. 

“So, you’re obviously here for a reason… I know that it’s not a bad reason otherwise you would have hightailed it out of me after giving me a sign of warning.” Stiles pondered out loud, trying to think of all the reasons a wizard attracted an animal companion. 

“Protection?” He wondered, turning to walk up the stairs and knowing that the wolf would follow him. “Guess it’s time to do some research. I’m good at that, by the way.” He turned back to the animal once he had made it up the stairs. “Whatever it is, I’ll figure it out and maybe you can help.” He added, taking off his sweaty shirt and tossing it in the hamper of the room he stayed in before going about in getting clean clothes for a shower. 

************

Derek had never once been this far away from his home. When he smelled the familiar scent, he knew what had brought him here. It was no surprise to him when he had found Stiles at the lake house. Something wasn’t right, every bone in Derek’s body kept him there, protecting the wizard he had once been close to. Way before the war, the Hale pack and the Stilinski family had formed a truce that went as deep as family. They would always have a sense of loyalty to each other, no matter what. Being that Derek was the last remaining Hale made no matter. Once he had picked up on Stiles’ familiar sense, all of his instincts to protect his family were in full gear. 

Being in his wolf form made it easier for him as he didn’t have to explain to stiles why the Hale pack had failed his kind, his family. Derek had been watching Stiles since he first got to the lake house, he did not miss the scent of sadness and loss that lingered whenever the boy seemed to quiet in thought. No, not boy, but a man now. The last time Derek had seen Stiles, he had been thirteen, Derek eighteen. Although Stiles looked different, physically, his scent was still the same.  
When they had been young, the boy had always followed Derek everywhere he went. It had annoyed him at first before his mother explained to him that because of the truce, those with Stilinski blood felt safer around other Hales. Stiles just managed to latch onto Derek. His mother, the Alpha, had told him he should feel honored that the boy had chosen him as his protector. So Derek had watched over Stiles since the two were young, protecting him in all the ways he knew how. Except for when it mattered most. Derek couldn’t protect him. He let out a sound resembling a whine and heard Stiles’ voice from the restroom. 

“You okay out there, big guy? Why don’t you come in here, I won’t be offended if you see me naked, it’s not like you can snap a picture and post it online for revenge.” Stiles rambled and Derek was drawn to his voice. 

Of course, that meant that Stiles was lounging in the bathtub taking a bubble bath. The lights were off, only the candles on the sink and bathtub were left to provide light. If he had been human, it would have been hard for him to see, but he could see everything perfectly, more so in his wolf form that he was not planning on dropping any time soon, if ever, around Stiles. Derek lay on the cool tile floor next to Stiles as the male rambled on about things that made no sense to Derek. It was like old times, Stiles rambling and Derek vaguely listening. Stiles’ voice comforted him so that he ended up dozing off. 

When he awoke, Stiles was already dressed and standing in front of the mirror, finishing up with brushing his teeth. Seeming to notice that he had awoken, Stiles looked over at Derek and beamed. Derek simply stared back at him because it was such a familiar look, the one Stiles was throwing at him. As if though he knew the wolf was Derek. 

“I have to go to the store because we literally have no food and I really want popcorn and chocolate. I might be an adult, but nobody is here to judge me.” Stiles grinned. “I don’t know how the humans will react to seeing a wolf in the store so if you want to come, you’ll be staying in the jeep.” Stiles said with a shrug. 

When the two left the house, Derek made sure to look around and Stiles merely rolled his eyes and waited for him in the jeep as Derek circled around the house before he was satisfied nobody would infiltrate their lair whilst the two were at the store. 

“You good?” Stiles asked with a chuckle, turning on the jeep. The engine hummed too loudly, but Derek did his best to drown it out. He wasn’t so lucky when Stiles turned on the radio to probably the hits station that played that repetitive trash they called music. He must have shot Stiles a judgy look because Stiles laughed and changed the station to something softer as he muttered words about judgy wolves. 

Being that the lake house was one of the furthest ones into the woods, the store was about forty-five minutes out. During the drive Derek had found out that Stiles was in love with a certain male singer by the name of Ed Sheeran, something about his voice caressing his soul. Derek did his best eye roll and Stiles purposely blasted a song of the male singer in question. The song was actually not that bad, other than Stiles shouting it at the top of his lungs. After the serenading, Stiles talked about his dad and that was a topic Derek was pleased about. He was glad to hear that John Stilinski was alive and well. Apparently stiles kept him on a strict diet because his cholesterol had been a little high at his last doctor’s appointment. 

They made it to the grocery store in less than forty-five minutes because Stiles sped, much to Derek’s dismay. Stiles had even gone to tell him that John was the Sheriff in the small town they lived in and Derek had huffed and nudged his head towards the speedometer. Stiles had chuckled and shrugged stating, “there’s never any cops around here.” 

Derek did as he was told back at the house, waiting for Stiles inside of the car as he went out to get the groceries. Derek watched Stiles until he disappeared inside, safely indoors. It was about ten minutes later when Derek sensed it…. danger. Something wasn’t right, there was something nearby that meant Stiles harm. And this time, Derek would protect the young wizard, like he was always meant to do. 

Except, there was one small problem, he was in his wolf form and that prevented him from being able to leave the car without breaking any windows. He sniffed, momentarily overwhelmed by Stiles’ scent and how thick it was in the jeep. It didn’t seem like the threat had gotten closer so Derek took the chance to hop in the back seat and search for anything that would work as clothing. He managed to find a pair of sweats, neatly folded in the back along with plain white shirt. The clothes didn’t smell like Stiles because they were brand new. He wondered what Stiles was doing with a change of clothes in the back seat, but had no time to dwell on it before the smell of danger began moving. 

Derek changed there, in the back seat of Stiles’ jeep, thankful for the space it allowed him. He barely had enough time before the threat was standing right in front of the jeep, watching him with yellow eyes. Derek growled, staring the threat down before exiting through the back of the jeep. The threat was upon him in seconds. The attack was fast, all Derek could see were fangs, sharp teeth, and fur. Derek rolled away from the creature, giving him enough time to get a better look at his attacker. 

“Werewolf scum! I thought we killed all of you already.” The thing spat. Except, now Derek had gotten a better look. He knew exactly what the thing was. A shifter. Currently in it’s in between stage, much like he was. Half man and half jaguar. He was of the species that most of the Argents were. 

“Argent.” Derek growled, cracking his neck and extending his claws. “What brings you here?”

“That’s right. I’m a proud Argent. Who are you?” The man asks, putting away his fangs as to talk better. And that was all Derek needed to attack once again, overpowering the werejaguar in mere seconds.  
“I’m a Hale.” He bit back, proud as the man had been to be an Argent. And the man squirmed under him, eyes wide as Derek held his neck with his sharp nails digging into the man’s chest, atop his heart. “What are you doing here?” He asks again. 

“That can’t be… you can’t be a Hale, that’s-” Derek cuts him off by digging his knee into the werejaguar’s sternum. 

“I won’t ask you again.” He growls. 

“Stilinski. One of our kind picked up on the scent so they sent me to confirm.” The shifter gasped out. 

“Who picked up the scent?” Derek growled out, anger threatening to overpower him. In his determination to get answers, he didn’t notice the familiar scent that had joined them. “Stiles.” He whispered. 

That’s all it took for the werejaguar to take it’s chance and overpower Derek. In seconds, the shifter had Derek on his back as Stiles dropped the groceries in fear, shock, and panic. “She’ll kill me herself if I tell you who picked up her scent.” The man dug his claws into Derek’s side, winding him before turning on Stiles. 

Derek quickly stood, ignoring the pain on his side and grabbing the shifter by the neck before he even had a chance to reach Stiles. In one swift move, Derek slashed the man’s neck, ripping out his carotid artery before flinging him aside, breathing heavily, willing his rage to dissipate before turning to Stiles. 

“Stiles…” He approached the young man slowly, as to not spook him. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” He asked, reaching out to touch Stiles’ shoulder. 

No response came from the young wizard, he just continued to stare at Derek as he put away his claws and fangs. The boy’s eyes went to Derek’s side, the white shirt he had put on was soaked with his own blood. 

“It’s okay. I’m already healing.” He lifted the shirt to show Stiles, but the brunette just continued to stare in what seemed like shock. 

Derek gently led Stiles back to the jeep, opening the passenger door and helping the male up and having to go as far as putting his seat belt on for him. Derek gathered the groceries and the keys, putting the groceries in the back seat and getting behind the wheel. He could feel Stiles’ anxiety, could hear the hitch in his breath and he remembered… he remembered having to help a young Stiles get through a panic attack or two when the boy was younger. 

“Hey, don’t worry. It’s okay. I’ll explain everything once we get back to the lake house, we just have to get there first. Please know that I’m not going to hurt you. I’m here to protect you, remember?” Derek reached out and took the boy’s hand in his, listening as his breathing evened out. Once he was sure Stiles was okay, he set off towards the house. 

He payed no mind to the speed limit and made sure to not take his hand from Stiles’. After all this time, it seemed that even Stiles could feel the safety in having a Hale close, especially the Hale he had become attached to all those years ago. His protector. Derek wasn’t sure if he was ready to explain everything to Stiles, but his main priority was to get the young wizard to safety. To do his job in protecting him this time. No more failing him.


	2. It would have been nice to be around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles has many questions, but the answers will hurt.

I Don’t Blame You

There were so many questions running in Stiles’ mind, that he wasn’t quite sure where to begin. Silence had never been his strong point, but here he was… sitting on the living room couch as Derek sat next to him, waiting patiently for Stiles to say something. Derek Hale was here, in the lake house. He was alive. When the Stilinski wizards made it back to the lake house, their meeting point in case of an emergency, he had lost hope that Derek was actually alive. When the shapeshifters started attacking their small town, there hadn’t been much time to do anything, but run. 

That didn’t mean that Stiles did not look for Derek. He had known that the werewolves were not part of the attack when they were nowhere to be found. Stiles had refused to leave before he found Derek. He knew that if the werewolf had not come to his aide, that he must have been seriously hurt or captured. His mother told her husband to take Stiles and they’d meet up at the lake house. In the magical families, one must always obey the head female witch of the household.

Stiles left with his dad, his mother promising that she’d find the Hales as well as Scott and Melissa. The next night, Melissa and Scott showed up, neither of them willing to talk about what happened quite yet. One thing was obvious, neither Claudia or Derek would be returning. None of the Hales would, for that matter. Stiles had not only lost his mother, but his protector. 

“I thought you were dead.” Stiles seemed to get out, not knowing how the words even formed. It was odd, for years thinking that one day Derek would come back, only to let him go a few short years ago. “You never came.” The words were out, shaky and thick with hurt.

“I’m sorry, Stiles. There’s so much that I need to tell you… so much that happened. I just don’t know where to start. I’ve never… told anyone what happened.” Derek explained next to him, the words seeming to cause him pain. 

“Go slow.” Stiles whispered, looking down at his hands that were unsurprisingly still shaking. “Start from the beginning.” He added, voice still a whisper, as if though scared that if he spoke too loudly, Derek would disappear. 

“There’s a lot. Too much happened, Stiles.” Derek spoke with such a deep hurt that Stiles inched closer, hoping the werewolf would find comfort in him being near. To be quite honest, having Derek near caused Stiles to feel that same comfort Derek had provided him when they were younger. 

“Start from the beginning. You don’t have to tell me everything in one go. It’s been eight years, Derek. I don’t doubt that too much has happened. I can see that so much has happened to you.” Stiles looked over at him, noticing how different the man looked. Older, yes, but with shadows of things Stiles did not understand. “You don’t have to tell me everything… just whatever you want to share.” 

Stiles watched as Derek nodded and seemed to move a bit closer, but that could have just been the older man getting comfortable on the couch. Stiles listened as Derek started from the beginning. It was easy for Stiles to get in the story, closing his eyes and remembering the day it all began. 

“Laura and I weren’t even home when it happened. Laura needed sticks and leaves for some project she was going to do have her students do the next day. And well, Laura dragged me with her to help.” Derek paused and Stiles reached over to place his hand on top of Derek’s, remembering how close the two older Hale siblings had been. 

“I don’t remember if it was the screams or the blood that alerted us, but by the time we got back, our house- it was burning and the screams we had heard, those of our family, we couldn’t hear them anymore.” 

Stiles swallowed, sadness making his heart stutter in his chest and tears to form in his eyes. He remembered. The whole town was burning… he had never realized that they had gotten to the Hales. It was too much, even for him and he wasn’t the one that had seen those horrible things. Derek must have noticed the tears falling from Stiles’ eyes as he turned his hand and held Stiles’ hand in turn before continuing. 

“Before I could get to you or your family, we were captured by Kate Argent.” It seemed that Derek was losing his calm and whatever he wanted to say next, he really did not want to say. “She made us watch-” Derek stopped mid sentence, only to skip over that part. “Your mom, she-” And that’s when Stiles cut him off, shaking his head and swallowing hard. 

“No. I don’t think- I think that’s enough for now.” Derek had not been kidding when he said a lot had happened and it seemed that this was such a small part to the whole story. Stiles was still trying to register that the Hale pack had been taken out by their own kind, to have to also hear about his mother’s death. 

“I’m sorry, Derek. I’m sorry.” Stiles bit his upper lip as to not start sobbing. He just couldn’t get the image of Derek hurting out of his mind. To Stiles, the Hales had always seemed indestructible.

Since as far as Stiles could remember, he had always been welcome to the Hale home. He had never once knocked on the door before going in. It was as if though he was part of the pack. It had started with Stiles going over to eat and get into just about every book and diary the Hales had. To Stiles going over to get Cora so they can start a game of hide and seek with the rest of the kids in town. It wasn’t until Stiles went over to give the Hales his ninth birthday party invitation that he pretty much appointed Derek Hale the job to be his protector.   
“What’s this?” A fourteen year old Derek had asked, eyebrows scrunching up in that way that made nine year old Stiles giggle. 

“It’s an invitation. To my birthday party. It’s for The Hale Pack, see?” He pointed at his hurried handwriting. 

“Star Wars is lame.” Broody teenage Derek had stated, which of course caused Stiles to question the Stilinski/Hale bond.

“Is not! I’m dressing up as Han Solo. He’s my favorite. He would probably make a better bond protector thing than you.” Stiles said coolly, for a nine year old, sticking his tongue out and everything before walking away, muttering curses about Derek’s dumb eyebrows.

Stiles must have been in his head for much too long because Derek was watching him curiously and Stiles simply smiled, blushing slightly. The memory seemed to have calmed him down and it was obvious that Derek sensed it by the way the werewolf seemed to relax. 

 

“You’re okay?” Derek asked as if though it was Stiles who had just relived some terrible and painful memories. 

“I’m okay. Tired from, well, everything.” Stiles shrugged. 

“You should sleep.” Derek stated. 

“I will.” Stiles stood slowly, releasing Derek’s hand and almost instantly missing the warmth. Derek stood as well, looking at Stiles as if though he wanted to say something. “You want to do that thing. Like when that rogue Alpha thing was loose near our house when I was ten.” Although Derek had changed throughout the years, Stiles still knew him well. 

“Is it okay?” Derek asked, almost guiltily. 

“Yes. Come on.” Stiles walked up to the room he stayed in, digging out his pajama bottoms and a shirt that he stole from his dad years ago. “I’ll be right back.”

Going into the connecting restroom, Stiles got dressed, brushed his teeth and ran his hands through his tousled hair. This was really happening. Derek had come back to him. The first thing he had done was protect Stiles and he knew that wouldn’t ever change. But Derek needed protection too and Stiles wasn’t the same weak wizard he once was. He was stronger and brighter. He’d protect Derek like nobody had before. 

When Stiles left the bathroom, Derek was not in the room. Raising a brow, Stiles peeks out into the hallway to find Derek in wolf form, sitting alert by the steps. “When that rogue Alpha was in town, I remember you sleeping by my bed, something about the window?” Stiles said, knowing that Derek would take the bait. “You look different now. Which makes sense, since Alpha and all.” Stiles continued talking as he got under the covers. “I’m glad you came back, Derek. I missed you.” Stiles sighed softly, remaining quiet for a while before he felt his eyelids becoming heavier. “Good night.” He mumbled out before sleep came to him.

*************

Derek had a hard time sleeping that night, every little sound outside making him uneasy. He didn’t know how the shapeshifter had found Stiles, was unsettled by the fact that the Argents knew Stiles scent. There had only been two Argents that had direct connection to Stiles himself. Allison Argent, who had never showcased the cruelty that her family had. She had reminded Derek more of Chris Argent, her father. The girl was not a threat, although she was deadly with a crossbow. 

The only other Argent who would know Stiles’ scent was Kate Argent. The name alone caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand. She was cruel enough for the whole Argent pack. How Allison had reminded him of Chris, Kate reminded him of the worse of the Argents, Gerard. He would curse himself for not seeing that sooner, but he had already done that enough. 

If Kate was indeed on Stiles’ trail, Derek would not be leaving the boy’s side anytime soon. Kate had never liked the young wizard, always bothered by the fact that he would always follow Derek around. Derek had tried to explain to her about their bond, how he was his protector, but that would not quell her anger or jealousy. It should have raised red flags for Derek back then; A twenty-two year old jealous of a twelve year old, but back then… Derek had been so blind. 

Before Derek knew it, the sun started to rise outside, the sounds of the woods surrounding them awakening with the sun. He had barely gotten any sleep, but he didn’t want to take any risks with Stiles sleeping in his bed. When he realized that the boy wasn’t about to wake up anytime soon, Derek left the room to shift back and take his clothes from where he had left them folded by the stairs. 

The clothes were the ones he had found in the back of Stiles’ jeep and he was reminded to ask the boy about them. When he was awake, as it seemed the young wizard was prone to sleeping in. Derek decided to use this time to shower, being that he still had dried blood from the werejaguar last night. He went back into the room Stiles was sleeping in, knowing the boy showered in there. 

Once in the bathroom, Derek placed the clothes on the counter and turned on the water. He’d have to use Stiles’ body wash and shampoo and he did just that as he showered. The scent was familiar, like the boy still used the same products from when he last saw him at thirteen. It was no surprise he had been easy to track. However, it still make Derek uneasy that someone else would memorize the boy’s scent like he had done. He was allowed to, he was the boy’s protector. And while he hadn’t done a good job at it in the past, he was determined to put the wizard’s life ahead of his. 

When he was done showering, he stepped out of the shower to get dress. He noticed then, the blood and gash in the side of the shirt. Frowning down at the shirt, he threw it in the trash can and put on the sweatpants that seemed to be blood free. He opened the bathroom door and was met with Stiles yawning and stretching by the door. The side of Derek's mouth twitched as if though he was about to smile. Derek didn’t smile, but the sight brought such nostalgia and warmth, he almost forgot he didn’t smile anymore. 

“‘Morning.” Stiles said through a yawn, eyes still closed. “Feeling less-” The boy stopped mid sentence as he looked at Derek. Stiles seemed to sweep his eyes over Derek’s bare chest before swallowing. “Bloody?” He chuckled nervously. 

“The shirt had blood.” Derek told Stiles, ignoring the way the boy’s cheeks seemed to turn pink. 

“Right. Well. Let me find you a shirt. I’ll try to find one that’s big on me or something.” Stiles reached for his bag under his bed and set it on the bed, looking through it before pausing. “Wait.” He stood from the bed and removed the shirt he was wearing.

“This will probably be the biggest one I have.” He tossed it to Derek who caught it with one hand, looking down at the shirt in what would resemble confusion. 

“It’s clean. I showered. Only used it to sleep in. Unless you want another one, I can find another one.” Stiles bent to hurriedly look through his bag. 

“No. It’s okay. It fits.” Derek said, the shirt on him in seconds. He watched as Stiles turned and smiled warmly, the smile brightening his big brown eyes. And Derek couldn’t breathe. 

The scent. He was wearing Stiles’ scent. And it was mingling with his own. And Stiles wouldn’t stop smiling at him. 

“Thanks.” Derek muttered before fleeing from the room. However, the scent of them followed him downstairs. He was seriously considering going outside and rolling around in the dirt to rid Stiles’ scent from his own so he could breathe again, but Stiles chose that moment to run down the stairs in a new shirt. 

“Do you know if the chocolate cake survived the attack? I really want some chocolate cake after the night we had.” Stiles voice rang out through the house as he sped by Derek and into the kitchen followed by a shout of glee. Obviously, the cake had survived. 

Derek followed the boy into the kitchen, watching as he fluttered around the kitchen, retrieving two plates, two forks, and a large knife. He must have been shooting Stiles his judgy look because Stiles rolled his eyes at Derek. 

“What? You’ve never had chocolate cake for breakfast?” Stiles raised both brows before cutting to large pieces from the cake, setting one on a plate and sliding it over to Derek. 

“I don’t like sweets.” Derek shook his head. 

Stiles was none too happy with that response as he stabbed the fork into Derek’s cake and glared at the werewolf. “Eat the cake, Derek.” He made his best intimidation of a growl before digging into his own cake, moaning at the taste of it. 

Derek obliged the wizard, taking a bite of his first piece of chocolate cake in years. When they were done with breakfast, Stiles was grinning and Derek was practically licking the plate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the awesome feedback on the first chapter! I'm really excited to continue on this journey with you guys!


	3. I've Told You Now

As Stiles fidgeted in his seat, he pondered if perhaps chocolate cake for breakfast was not the best of his ideas. As now, he couldn’t sit still. He wanted to go out on his daily morning run, but Derek refused to let him out of the house. Stiles argued that he couldn’t stay trapped in the house all day. And he proved that after doing just about everything to keep him entertained. By that afternoon, he was buzzing with nervous energy and Derek finally gave in, stating that first, he’d need to circle the area to make sure there wasn’t a threat. 

Stiles obliged, it wasn’t like he could argue with the wolf. While Derek busied himself outside, Stiles put his socks and shoes on, only having to search for about ten minutes for his wallet. When he went back downstairs, he was just getting his keys when Derek came back in. Although Stiles was confident in his protection and border spells, he still looked at Derek to make sure he hadn’t come across anyone or anything. 

“So…?” Stiles prompted when Derek looked like he wasn’t going to say anything. 

“Everything looks fine. For now.” He said, frowning. 

“See? I told you! My magic will hold and nobody can get through the barrier that’s a threat, therefore… they can smell my lovely scent.” Stiles grinned. 

“Where are you going?” Derek asked, instead of commenting more on the matter. 

“I’m hungry and I’m craving curly fries. We should probably get you actual clothes too.” Stiles pointed up and down at Derek with his index finger. “That clothes that you put on was an emergency change of clothes for Scott. You know, in case he wolfs out.”

 

Stiles watched as Derek’s expression changed from his usual grumpy to one of awe. And then he realized that Scott had pretty much been part of the Hale pack. And he was alive. This was the first time Derek was hearing this. 

“I guess I have a lot to tell you too, huh?” Stiles smiled softly, not wanting to break the relaxed look Derek had. “I can do that. While we go get curly fries.” He promised, jingling his keys slightly and waiting until Derek nodded and opened the front door. 

Stiles followed him out, locking the door behind him and heading for the jeep. Derek didn’t talk, which was normal. Still, Stiles was surprised that he wasn’t asking him all the questions he wanted answered. Then he remembered the pain Derek’s answered had caused him and he understood. He glanced over as Derek before starting up the jeep and driving away from the house. 

“Scott and Melissa made it back. They live in the same town we do, we decided to stick together. We’re stronger like that, you know?” Stiles started. “It was actually pretty easy for my dad and Melissa to fit in to the human community since they were adults. They got jobs and supported us while Scott and I went to public school, which was a nightmare, by the way.”

“Dad was even appointed Sheriff of the town and Melissa worked on her degree as a nurse, even though we know she was an incredible healer. Real world, you have to have a degree in everything, I swear.” Stiles kept rambling, never really being good at telling a story or staying on topic. “Scott and I befriended other supernaturals which was awesome. Lydia, she’s a banshee. Jackson, he’s a freaky lizard shifter thing, aka Kanima. And kira, she’s a Kitsune. We kind of formed our own little pack… with Scott as our alpha.” Stiles made it out of the coverage of the trees just as he realized that Derek didn’t know about Scott’s new alpha status either. 

“Scott? He’s an Alpha?” Derek whispered. 

“Yeah, wow, I suck at story time.” Stiles chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck before placing that hand back on the steering wheel. 

“Mom- she always had a suspicion that he was, but he was too young, she wasn’t sure.” Derek spoke from his seat, looking ahead. Stiles tore his gaze from Derek to also look ahead and pay attention to the road. 

“He’s a good alpha. He’s kept us safe and the other supernaturals I told you about, they follow him too.” Stiles said, proud of his best friend. For a moment he forgot that he was talking to another alpha and he quickly rambled on. “I’m sure you are too. I mean, I’ve seen you in action and stuff and you seem like a very good alpha. You could protect your pack too. Do you have a pack?” He blurted, trying to cover up the slight pang in his chest he felt at not knowing these things about Derek. It felt weird because he’d always considered himself an unofficial member of the Hale pack and now Scott was his alpha. 

 

Stiles found himself thinking of what life would be like had nothing ever happened, had everyone survived. He caught himself doing so often and although he had told himself many times not to do that, he always did. With Scott having been a True Alpha he wondered if he would have been left up to choose. The idea of having to choose who to follow, his best friend or his protector, was cringe worthy. 

“I have a pack.” Derek started, bringing Stiles back to regular time. “Three werewolves, all turned. Boyd, Erica, and Isaac.” Derek stated with a hint of something Stiles would call sadness. 

“Are they okay?” Stiles asked, not caring if he was out of line, more worries about Derek’s pack then sidestepping any uncomfortable questions. There was a sense of protectiveness that caught Stiles off guard. It wasn’t like he had ever met the pack, nor was he part of the pack. 

“We were split up. I caught your scent, they caught the Shifter’s. They’ll double back.” Derek said, uncertainty evident in his tone. 

“Are you sure?” Stiles asked as he pulled into a side parking lot. Derek simply shook his head and exited the vehicle without a word. 

 

Stiles sighed, worry falling over him. He was sure that Derek would pick up on that worry so he told himself to remain calm before following after the older male into one of the clothing stores. The teller didn’t so much as bat an eyelash at Derek’s lack of shoes which was a plus. Stiles became distracted by a display of various colorful buttons and accessories and before he knew it, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, only jumping slightly, to see Derek with a small bundle of clothes and a pair of shoes in his hands. 

“I’ll pay you back.” He promised which Stiles shook his head to immediately. 

“Dude, you saved my life, I owe you way more than shoes and clothes.” He gave Derek a small smirk before leading the way to the check out. The clerk did stare this time, but mostly at Derek’s all around, everything. Stiles barely managed to not let out a huff and roll his eyes in annoyance. 

“Are you okay?” Derek asked Stiles once they had stepped out of the store. Stiles let out a laugh and shook his head slightly. 

“Yeah, just starving. Put on your shoes so we can eat already. I can smell the yummyness from here.” He pointed to one of the benches, glad when he saw Derek sitting and taking out a pair of socks before promptly putting on the shoes. Derek didn’t ask many questions, Stiles was glad for that. He wondered if maybe he should stop being so invasive, but that was a feat much too challenging for the young wizard. 

 

Once Derek was done, Stiles led the way to the diner that was three stores down from the clothing store and paused outside the door. “I highly recommend the cheeseburgers and curly fries. They’ll even put nacho cheese on your curly fries. If they had this place back home, I’d probably weigh five hundred pounds.” Stiles informed Derek, opening the door for the werewolf and following him inside. 

Stiles led him to his usually boothe and grabbed a menu, giving one to Derek as well. As Stiles waited for Derek to look over the menu, he realized that the werewolf looked tense and worried. Of course, he had a right to be, but Stiles just wished there was a way he could help. He did not have time to ask Derek before the waitress came over to take their orders. Stiles ordered his usual, double cheeseburger, curly fries with nacho cheese, and a coke. Derek ordered the same thing which caused Stiles to relax, glad that Derek took his advice. 

Whilst the two ate their meals, Stiles was awfully quiet, debating in his head what he should say. He wanted to offer Derek help, but didn’t quite know how to put it. This was a guy who saved his life not too long ago, and how was he really going to be of help?

\----------------------------------------------------

 

Ever since Stiles had asked about his pack, Derek felt a sense of urgency. It wasn’t a feeling that something was wrong, just that he needed to do something. Perhaps it was make sure his pack had in fact, made it to safety. Although he did not show it, he was worried. However, that worry only intensified the longer he was with Stiles, picking up on the other boy’s nerves. He ate with the same urgency that he felt, watching as Stiles did the same. 

“What else do you want to ask me?” Derek asked once they had finished their meal. 

“What? What makes you think I want to ask you something?” Stiles asked, fidgeting in his seat. 

“You’re quiet. You’re never quiet.” Derek replied, watching Stiles from across the booth. 

“Right. Well. I don’t know, I just kind of… I know you’re worried about your pack. You got all quiet after I asked about them, more quiet than usual and I-- I guess I just wanted to ask if you wanted to look for them. I can help you. If you have anything of theirs I can do a locator sp-” Stiles was cut off by Derek’s sharp shake of his head and his large hand falling on Siles’ hand. 

“No.” Derek said, rather loudly and urgently. Noticing that he might have drawn the attention to those in the diner, he lowered his voice and removed his hand from atop Stiles’. “It’ll draw too much attention. They’ll report in when they get the chance.” Derek tried to reassure Stiles, but he himself did not feel reassured until the pack had contacted him. They were supposed to report in this morning, but it was not rare for them to go a day or two without contact.

“I can use your phone. Later tonight, when we get back. That way they know to call you since my phone is in the woods somewhere.” He added, noticing that Stiles still looked rather anxious. 

After a couple of moments, Stiles seemed to relax slightly, but he didn’t speak again until they were leaving the diner. “So, did you like the food?” He asked with an edge of hopefulness that caused Derek’s lip to twitch up into a half smile. 

“You were right. The best.” He assured the younger male and that seemed to earn him a grin from the wizard, as well as the wave of anxiousness to completely disappear from Stiles. 

 

Now that they were outside, he realized that the streets had gotten more and more crowded since when they had first come into town. There was a motel to their right that displayed the time and degrees in temperature. It was three pm on a Sunday so he figured the crowd to be normal. Although, upon further inspection, he also noticed vendors setting up on the street rather than on the sidewalk. Before he could inspect their surroundings further, Stiles gasped next to him, causing Derek to respond quickly by pinning Stiles behind him and scanning the area with razor sharp focus. And then he heard a light chuckle from behind him followed by a hand placed on his bicep, both relaxed him, but he remained where he was. 

“It’s okay. It’s just the street fair is tonight, I forgot about that.” Stiles said, an obvious grin on his face. Derek let out a sigh before turning to look at Stiles. The movement caused Stiles to release his hold on the wolf’s bicep, which was immediate warmth he missed. 

“You gasped.” Derek said simply, eyeing Stiles before his eyes landed on the boy’s smirk and then up to his bright eyes. 

“Well, yeah. It was a gasp of excitement. I thought that was pretty obvious. I mean, if I was in danger I would have surely screamed or something, not gasped. Gasping is good. You should try it.” Stiles kept the grin on his face, seeming to meet Derek’s gaze for a moment longer before something else caught his attention. 

“Can we maybe, I don’t know, get a funnel cake before we go home? Please? They’re so delicious and I would not lie to you about that.” Stiles turned large brown eyes at him and Derek was mesmerized by the way the other male actually batted his eyelashes at him. It couldn’t have been intentional, nothing Stiles did was very intentional. It was like he was not aware of just how beautiful he was. 

“Fine.” Derek had to physically step back and avert his gaze as to not keep staring. And so, Derek trailed along behind Stiles as he led the way to the funnel cake, stopping at just about any side vendor that sold colorful objects. It was as if though he was drawn to the unique and colorful, which was something that had not changed about Stiles since Derek had last seen him. They didn’t make it to the funnel cake stand until about an hour later after Stiles had purchased a dream catcher and a glass dragon figurine that’s body wrapped and protected a purple marble like substance. 

“One please.” Stiles told the vendor before looking back at Derek. “They’re huge, so we can share. I’d normally eat a whole one, but we just kind of ate. Unless you want a whole one?” To which Derek shook his head and agreed that one was enough. 

The crowd grew significantly since they had left the diner and it took Derek’s good eyes to find them an empty bench where they could share the funnel cake. Derek never let his eyes wander from the crowd for too long, his senses feeling dulled by the abundance of scents and noise going about. He wasn’t too good in situations like these, surrounded by so many people. 

“Hey, relax. Street fairs are supposed to be fun. Besides, if you’re worried about the you know, Shifters, they wouldn’t try anything here anyways. We’re safer in crowds.” Stiles stated, handing Derek a fork. “You take first bite. You’re kind of the reason I’m still alive.” Stiles shrugged, moving the plate forward slightly. 

Derek shook his head, but obliged, sticking his fork in the dessert and taking a fair amount before putting it in his mouth. Stiles was right, of course. It was a wonderful treat, one he had not eaten in quite some time. Like the chocolate cake Stiles fed them for breakfast. Except the funnel cake brought up memories he thought he had done such a good job in storing away under lock and key. 

 

There was a fair that would come very close to their town’s border. It was one his family always went to, one that they’d invite the Stilinski’s to every year. It was a state fair so they would always be assigned buddies in case someone was to get lost. He remembered Stiles’ dad making a comment about how Stiles would probably need to be glued to his buddie’s hip and Stiles’ dad thanking Derek every time they met back up, with Stiles in tow. 

Although Stiles loved running ahead of Derek, the boy never did seem to like to go far from Derek. However, there was one time when Derek daw some of the older kids from their town and he became distracted, taking his eyes off of Stiles for what seemed like only a moment. Derek had been in a panic, looking high and low for the boy and not wanting to seek out his mom or Mr. Stilinski in fear that he’d never be trusted with Stiles. 

After a full hour of searching, Derek found the boy sharing a funnel cake with his sisters, laughing and joking. When Derek approached him, Laura shot him a glare that meant she’d talk to him about it later and both Cora and Stiles gave him the cold shoulder. He noticed then that Stiles’ eyes were red rimmed as if though he had been crying. 

“Stiles. I’m sorry I lost you.” He said, the guilt that had clearly been eating away at him for a whole hour, still evident. Stiles looked down at his funnel cake and refused to meet Derek’s gaze, so it was little Cora who turned and looked him square in the eyes. 

“You didn’t lose him, he ran away from you.” She said, taking Stiles by one hand and the funnel cake with the other before stomping over to another table. That wouldn’t be the first time he had failed in watching over Stiles. 

Derek came back from the memory to find Stiles watching him closely, a soft smile on his face. And it seemed, that he too, had the same memory. 

“You know, I wasn’t really all that mad, but Cora was mad enough for the both of us.” Stiles chuckled, taking another bite of the funnel cake. Derek was amazed by how those memories seemed to make Stiles happy. He only wished it was like that for him. 

“I’m sorry, Stiles.” Derek said, feeling that he needed to apologize, even if it was years ago. 

“Derek, come on, that was years ago. I told you, I wasn’t mad. I was kind of jealous, actually.” Stiles shrugged. “I was usually the center of your attention and then these girl- I mean, people your own age came along and I was just the weird little kid in the background. I’m the one that left, I wasn’t scared or in danger. I was just a kid in need of attention. Seriously, no biggie.” Stiles rambled, smiling nervously. 

There was still no sadness coming from Stiles in reliving old memories, but there was a slight edge of embarrassment, especially when he admitted to feeling jealous. Derek didn’t have much time to contemplate before Stiles was standing abruptly, dropping the nearly empty plate at his feet. Immediately alert, Derek stood and scanned their surroundings. 

“What is it, Stiles?” Derek asked, moving closer to the younger male who had visibly paled. 

“I-I thought I saw… you didn’t see it?” Stiles looked to Derek, fear evident in his eyes. 

“See what, Stiles?” Derek took the wizard by the arm and led him away from the crowds. 

“A snake. It was a snake. Derek, that’s bad, that’s very bad.” Stiles’ fear was thick, his worry even thicker. Derek focused solely on getting the younger male away from the crowds and towards the boy’s jeep so they could get back to safety. Nothing else mattered, but getting Stiles back to safety.


	4. I Wish You Hadn't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out why Derek didn't look for Stiles earlier. Also, fluff alert.

If Stiles was to make a list of his various skills, research would be at the top of them. It was both a good thing and a bad thing. He had become better at scoping out the wrong from right, but he had a hard time categorizing the severity of the things he found to be true. One thing he always took seriously, as a wizard, was omens. Seeing a snake cross in front of him when nobody else saw it? That was probably in the top three of bad omens. It meant danger. It meant enemies close by. And it meant death by said enemies close by. 

Stiles didn’t know how, but somehow Derek had managed to get him in the front seat of his jeep and take his keys. Stiles was still shaking, fear taking over just about all of his senses as Derek drove out of town and into the cover of the woods, towards the house. It seemed as if though Derek was determined to get them home as soon as possible and if Stiles was in his right mind, he’d be scolding Derek for mistreating his jeep. 

“Seeing a snake. Does that mean something?” Derek asked, taking a moment to look over at Stiles. 

Stiles nodded, swallowing thickly and looking out the window. He wasn’t quite ready to talk about it, not until he and Derek were home safe. Derek seemed to gather as much and did not urge Stiles on any further as the quiet settled around them. Stiles took his phone out and saw that he had a text from his dad, telling Stiles that he heard a storm was passing over the area where the house was and to stay safe. Stiles sighed because that was just what they needed. 

 

Upon nearing the house and crossing the border of the safety and protection spells Stiles had up, he felt much calmer. Once Derek had parked the jeep, he was out of there and running into the house, Derek trailing behind him. Stiles shot straight upstairs, entering the room he stayed in and rummaging through his belongings. He sat cross legged on his bed, opening a book he had read through so many times that he practically had it memorized. 

“It’s an omen. The snake. A bad one, obviously.” Stiles started, looking up to see Derek at his doorway. “Danger, enemies, and death.” It felt even worse, saying it out loud. It had been so long since he’d encountered an omen so intense. The last time had been before the battle. Then, the black winged creature had come to him in a dream. They were different creatures, but both meant almost the exact same thing. 

“Derek-- what if…” Stiles’ voice broke and he felt tears gathering in his eyes. This couldn’t be happening. Not after the peace they had for so many years. It was as if though they couldn’t catch a break. Derek came over to sit next to Stiles as he shook slightly, tears fully formed, yet still refusing to spill. 

Because he was strong. His mother had told him so the night that the omen had showed up in his dreams. She held him and told him that the omens only present themselves to those strong enough to handle them. Right now, Stiles didn’t feel strong at all. 

 

And it was as if though the snake were laughing at him when he heard the first strike of lightning. The rain had started falling some time ago and he hadn’t even noticed. But when the lights went out, that’s when he cried. He allowed himself to cry and this time his mom wasn’t there to hold him, but Derek was. 

Stiles wasn’t sure how long he was crying, but he allowed himself to be held by strong arms. Only after a while, after the tears had dried up and he was only shaking, he realized that Derek had repositioned them so Derek was laying back against the pillows and headboard, while Stiles lay against Derek. Stiles wanted to apologize, wanted to make sure everyone was okay, wanted to warn everyone he knew, wanted to go out and find Derek’s pack, but he only had the energy to turn over and curl up next to Derek. He wondered, as he drifted off, if he was clinging to Derek too tightly, but fell asleep feeling safe with Derek close by. 

 

It didn’t feel like much longer before Stiles was waking up, although he felt sore and tired all over. He felt relief that he had not had another omen show up in his dream. And even more relief was felt when he felt the warmth of Derek, his arms still wrapped securely around him. Allowing himself to drink in the moment, he let out a small sigh before releasing his still tight clutch on Derek and sat up slowly. 

When Stiles looked down at Derek, his eyes were open and they were watching him with a worry that actually brought comfort to Stiles. Because he cared, Derek had always cared. 

“Did you need my phone to call your pack?” Stiles asked, not needing to say anything else, only needing to be assured that Derek’s pack was safe. 

“Already called them.” He motioned to Stiles’ phone sitting on the nightstand. “They had to backtrack quite a bit to hide their scent, but with the rain making it easier for them, they should make it here in three days. In the meantime, I think we should stay put.” He eyes Stiles as if though directing it to him, knowing Stiles doesn’t have much luck with staying put. 

 

Stiles let out a frustrated sigh, the thought alone making him itch to be out doing something. Anything to ensure their safety. But, he nodded, showing Derek that he read him loud and clear. 

“I should call my dad. And Scott. We might need them.” Stiles said, making sure to keep it light as to not upset the current alpha in the room. He knew that alphas usually didn’t seek out each other’s help. “I need them.” Stiles added, seeing Derek’s hurtful glance. It wasn’t at all that he didn’t feel safe with Derek. 

“If you think that’s best.” Derek said, moving to leave the bed and avoiding Stiles’ gaze. 

“Wait.” Stiles reached out, grabbing hold of Derek’s forearm. “I need to keep them safe too.” He explained, watching as Derek’s gaze softened. 

“I know.” Derek nodded before standing and leaving the room. 

Stiles stared after the wolf, wishing he knew what was going through Derek’s head. He gave off an air of calm, but Stiles knew not to fall for it. There was so much more to Derek that was always there, even before the war and the death of his family. Looking down at the now missing warmth, Stiles shivered and reached for his phone. 

 

The phone barely had a chance to ring out once before Scott was answering the phone. “Stiles? What’s up? Everything okay?” Came Scott’s worried questions. 

“Yeah, I mean no, but it’s so hard to explain.” Stiles huffed. “But I’m okay!” He added quickly, knowing how Scott loved to worry about him.

“What do you mean? I read about the so called animal attack at a local market by where you’re staying and your dad told me about the bad storm moving in.” Scott asked hurriedly. 

“Well yeah, about that animal attack… there’s a lot I gotta tell you, dude…” Stiles trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. 

It took Stiles about an hour to explain everything to Scott as the alpha had to turn around and explain everything to Allison and Kira. It was about thirty minutes into the conversation when Lydia and Danny showed up that they put him on speaker and he had to pretty much start all over again. By the end of the conversation Stiles was exhausted, but Scott promised to fill in the rest of the pack. 

“If we leave tonight, we should be there in two days-- max.” He heard Allison say. 

 

“Wait, no. The whole point is for you guys to stay out of danger, not come running towards it.” Stiles sighed, shaking his head as he finally got out of bed. 

“Stiles, you’re pack. We’re going to keep you safe. You can’t argue with me.” Scott pointed out, earning another frustrated sigh from the wizard. 

“Fine, but please promise me not to tell my dad. I don’t want him reliving everything he went through as I’m sure you’ll be keeping this from your mom as well.” Stiles pleaded. 

“Fine. We’ll tell my mom and your dad that we’re gonna join you for the weekend.” Came Scott’s reply. 

 

After a prompt goodbye, Stiles felt reluctant to go downstairs and talk to Derek. He knew the wolf would have probably heard the conversation, but wouldn’t say anything about it until Stiles brought it up. So stiles took his time, retrieving clothes and opting to take a shower before going back downstairs. 

Not thinking about the bad omens proved to be a difficult task. Instead, he tried to keep his mind busy as he showered. He thought of Scott’s reaction to finding out Derek was still alive. He thought of his own reaction to finding out Derek was still alive. He thought of the way Derek had held him while he had his melt down and slept. And finally, he remembered how much he had missed having Derek in his life. 

 

\---------------------------------------

 

Derek could not put into words the relief he felt in hearing his pack was safe. There was never a doubt, but he had always been one to look at the worse outcome. When Stiles had voiced his concerns about the omen, the worry only spiked. However, his main concern had been to make sure Stiles was okay. The worry Derek felt dissipated and all he could pick up was Stiles’ worry and fear. It seemed that his main concern had always been Stiles. 

 

Upon making his way downstairs, Derek tried not to eavesdrop and instead went into the kitchen. He understood that Stiles had to call his alpha, any of his betas would do the same. It was just, odd, that there was someone else protecting Stiles. Something that most people would call jealousy, had bubbled up inside Derek when the wizard felt the need to call for help. The jealousy made him feel uneasy and that is why he was as far away from Stiles and his alpha’s voice as he could get. 

When Derek heard the upstairs bathroom’s shower turn on, he realized he had taken out ingredients to make breakfast. Shrugging, he opted for keeping himself busy by making both of them breakfast. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he enjoyed cooking. It brought upon a sense of tranquility he didn’t often allow himself to feel. Cooking in the Hale household had always been loud, fun, and something they did as a family. 

Stiles didn’t join in the family tradition of making breakfast with the Hales. Not because they didn’t consider him family, because they did, but because Stiles was banned from using sharp objects and from being around the stoke. His mother and Derek’s mother had made it a rule. Instead, Stiles was in charge of setting the table with Cora and the younger Hales. He always offered to do the dishes as well and he refused help from the moms because according to him, they did enough of cleaning up after us. But Derek, of course, was allowed to help while Cora and Laura cleaned up the younger Hales. 

 

Derek did not hear Stiles come downstairs, nor did he notice the boy until he heard a cabinet to his right opening. 

“You didn’t seriously think you could make breakfast without me setting the table did you?” Stiles asked with a soft smile. Derek was glad to note that the wizard was not as nervous and afraid as he had been during the night. 

“Can’t stray from tradition.” Derek responded, turning the stove off. Derek turned, only to find Stiles beaming at him. If Derek was lacking in the self control department, he probably would have dropped the pan of scrambled eggs he was holding. Instead, he smiled at Stiles, the only one on earth that could still make him smile like that and went to set the pan down in the center of the table. 

“I gotta say, I missed your cooking so much. I can never get my eggs to come out that pretty and fluffy.” Stiles said, sitting down once the food had been brought to the table. Derek sat across from him, much like he always had during breakfast before the war. 

“Oh my god. It’s just as delicious as I remember.” Stiles cooed from across him, closing his eyes and savoring the bite he had in his mouth. Derek wanted to always cook for Stiles, if that’s the reaction he would get out of him. 

“Thank you, Stiles.” He smiled, a sense of pride washing over him before he too began to eat. 

 

They ate in a comfortable silence. It had always been a joke at the Hale house that the only way to shut Stiles up was to put good food in front of him. Or any food, for that matter. 

After the two were done eating, Stiles insisted on cleaning up and doing the dishes since Derek did the cooking. Derek raised a brow before shaking his his head and saying, “Can’t break tradition, Stiles.” 

The two ended up standing together, their arms almost touching as Derek washed and Stiles rinsed and dried. “I haven’t had a home cooked meal in a while. I mean, other than when I go to Scott’s and steal some of Melissa’s leftovers.” He chuckled. “It’s not like dad and I are very skilled in the kitchen.” He added, rinsing off the last plate. 

Derek felt guilty at hearing that, as if he should have sought out Stiles sooner only so that he could feed him. It was such a ridiculous thought, but it was there. His thoughts of Stiles were always of the ridiculous sort. And as if though Stiles could read his thoughts, he looked over at Derek and asked, “Hey, so I’ve been meaning to ask you… why didn’t you look for me?” 

More guilt flooded Derek at hearing that. And the way Stiles had said it, as if scared to ask it. Even the fact that he had chose the word ‘me’ and not ‘us’ had Derek’s wolf wanting to whine from guilt. Derek waited until Stiles was done with the last dish before turning to the wizard, clearing his throat slightly. 

 

“I wanted to.” Derek said, hesitating and wishing that the response would be sufficient enough. Judging by the look on Stiles’ face, he knew he had to keep going. “But after that- I just… I guess I ran. I couldn’t live with the hurt and loss. The only way to escape it was to escape it all. Escape you…” Derek finished, looking down, not wanting to take the risk of looking at Stiles’ expression. 

“I wish you hadn’t.” Came Stiles’ voice, much softer than usual. Derek expected it, but he hadn’t thought it would hurt to hear those words coming from Stiles. 

“I’m sorry. Things were… things were hard, but that’s no excuse, I know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone.” Derek added, wishing he could convey to Stiles how sorry he was. 

“You didn’t think I could help?” Stiles asked with a spark of determination, which had Derek looking at him in surprise. 

“No. I mean, yes. But that’s not it, Stiles… I just thought that- I thought a lot of things, but I guess I put it in my head that you wouldn’t forgive me… you shouldn’t forgive me. I should have protected you and your mom. I should have protected my own family, but I couldn’t even do that.” Derek finished, finding it hard to breath. He hadn’t admitted that to anyone until now. He’d gotten close to his beta’s and had since been more open towards them, but what happened to his family and Stiles was always off limits. 

 

Not hearing anything from Stiles, Derek began to side step the wizard. He figured that he might need some time alone, but was surprised when the other male stopped him. 

“Derek.” Stiles stepped in front of him, his large brown eyes staring back at Derek with hurt. And Derek was sorry he had put it there. He should have stayed away, kept Stiles away from danger. He was about to express his thoughts to Stiles when the boy wrapped his arms around Derek’s middle, catching the wolf completely off guard. 

“I don’t blame you.” Stiles whispered, not showing any signs of moving away. Derek slowly wrapped his own arms around Stiles and he felt the boy sigh in relief. Derek believed that he should be the one sighing in relief, but he wasn’t too sure if he could do that just yet. Having Stiles in his arms felt surreal, like he’d be taken from him within seconds, some cruel joke to add to his loss. 

“How could you honestly think that I would blame you? How could you honestly blame yourself?” Stiles asked. 

They were close in height and Stiles had made himself smaller by hugging his middle, but he straightened to look at Derek. There was so much Derek wanted to say, so many reasons why he blamed himself. However, the look on Stiles’ face told him not to go there. It was as if though Stiles was determined to have Derek not feel guilty. The thing with Stiles was that he was a very determined individual and when he did things like this, Derek could let his guard down and actually believe him. 

 

It happened on several other occasions when they were younger. Some would say the boy was persuasive or always got his way, but that wasn’t what it was, there was more sincerity that went with it. And Derek had missed everything about Stiles. Just like he had let his guard down about his guilt, he seemed to be letting his guard down about everything else. And Stiles was hugging him, a small smile forming on his lips as he seemed to realize that he had got through to Derek. And Derek wanted badly to kiss that small smile, to show Stiles that he should never doubt that he can get through to Derek. 

“You don’t have to say anything. We all know you’re not very good with words, Sourwolf.” Stiles broke the silence, as always, using an old nickname he and Cora had come up with. 

“Thank you.” Derek said, proving Stiles wrong with those two words. Two words were better than nothing. Stiles must have thought so as well because he beamed, looking very much like someone who had just won the grand prize of all prizes. And this time, Derek couldn’t help but kiss him. Everything else was forgotten when Stiles returned the kiss without even a moment of hesitation. 

Derek wasn’t at all surprised when his walls crumbled and his heart filled with warmth that hadn’t been there in a while. Because Stiles had always been his to protect, love, and care for. And although he had failed his wizard in protecting him once, he’d not fail again, nor would he fail him in any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was worried that this was too soon, but it seems that Stiles and Derek are writing this fic, not me. Also, there's action coming up and established Sterek needed to be a thing so.
> 
> I'm open to suggestions, as always. :)


End file.
